What’s New

During the week of July 17, six eighth- through 10th-grade students took on the role of coastal scientists during Service in Science Camp, a weeklong camp hosted in partnership by the North Carolina Coastal Federation and Jennette’s Pier. Sara Hallas, coastal education coordinator for the federation’s Wanchese office, as well as Meredith Fish and Hannah…

HARKERS ISLAND — The North Carolina Coastal Federation has been awarded a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to clean up marine debris near Harkers Island. This large-scale cleanup is set to begin this fall. The project will remove tons of debris left behind from a clam-growing operation that went out of…

The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Wrightsville Beach office started hosting monthly Coastal Ambassador training sessions this year, and participants have so far learned about salt marsh habitat, living shorelines and stormwater runoff during evening programs and daytime field trips. The Coastal Ambassadors are a special group of volunteers who serve as representatives of the federation…

SWAN QUARTER — On Aug. 8, the Hyde County community is invited to attend the first of six public meetings to discuss long-term solutions for Lake Mattamuskeet’s watershed, its declining water quality and changing lake levels. Hyde County, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have come together to support…

Today Gov. Roy Cooper announced his opposition to offshore oil drilling and seismic blasting. At an event at Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach, he said he was proud to stand with organizations, local governments and individuals that galvanized public opposition to offshore oil drilling. During his statement, the governor spoke about North Carolina’s…

This is the fourth blog post as part of our Dibblers’ Diaries blog, which offers first-person stories from our interns. Summer Rich is a coastal policy and restoration intern. By Summer Rich In the last couple of weeks, my work at the North Carolina Coastal Federation this summer has started to come full circle. I’ve spent…

Rising third- through fifth- graders from Carteret and Onslow counties spent time learning about the coast and exploring the places they call home during the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Coastal Discovery Camp from June 19 through 21 and 26 through 28. The first week of camp was held in partnership with Hammocks Beach State Park,…

Good news — the just approved state budget makes important new investments in oysters, coastal restoration and marine debris cleanup. When combined with existing state funding, the $23 billion budget provides a total of $1.3 million next year to continue work on the Senator Jean Preston Oyster Sanctuary in Pamlico Sound, with $500,000 of the…

This is the third blog post as part of our Dibblers’ Diaries blog, which offers first-person stories from our interns. Summer Rich is a coastal policy and restoration intern. By Summer Rich I’ve recently come to a stark realization: although I have lived in Carteret County my entire life, it wasn’t until this internship that I’ve truly…

Teachers from across the state traveled to the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) on Ocracoke for a three-day seminar, part of which included hands-on activities with the North Carolina Coastal Federation that were focused on a variety of coastal topics. Sara Hallas, coastal education coordinator for the federation’s Wanchese office, led…

The North Carolina Coastal Federation coastal cruises are an exciting way to explore the maze of salt marsh islands in the estuarine waters behind Bear Island, which is part of Hammocks Beach State Park. This year’s cruises, which dive into the local wildlife and natural resources of the estuary, kicked off on June 14. Spots…

This June, the North Carolina Coastal Federation and North Carolina Coastal Land Trust staff, as well as volunteers from Ocracoke, planted Spartina alterniflora marsh grasses to create additional marsh at Springer’s Point Nature Preserve. In total the 14 volunteers planted 1,000 marsh grass plugs in an area of the preserve that has been stabilized with…

Five employees from RBC Wealth Management helped plant 200 native wetland plants at the Glen Meade subdivision in Wilmington last week on RBC Blue Water Day. Along with staff from the North Carolina Coastal Federation and the City of Wilmington, these RBC employees and one other volunteer helped install native plants in a bioretention site…

A group of international visitors recently stopped by Jockey’s Ridge State Park, where staff from the North Carolina Coastal Federation talked with them about living shorelines and other elements of the organization’s work. On June 16, the group — which came to the United States through the International Visitor Leadership Program through the U.S. Department…

This is the second blog post as part of our Dibblers’ Diaries blog, which offers first-person stories from our interns. Summer Rich is a coastal policy and restoration intern. By Summer Rich As it has just been over a month into our summer internship, the coastal restoration and policy interns have dived into their individual projects.…

As the school year wound down, North Carolina Coastal Federation educators had a few last lessons with students before summer started in June. Check out some highlights from the Wanchese office and the Ocean office. Ocean At the Ocean office, coastal education coordinator Rachel Bisesi visited Kat Lester’s first-grade class at Swansboro Elementary School six…

The Dare County Soil and Water Conservation District had its eleventh-annual fifth-grade bookmark contest recently, in which students use artwork to show their understanding of conservation work in Dare County. Each year, fifth-graders learn about the importance of conservation of natural resources and environmental stewardship in Dare County. Students illustrate what they have learned, whether that…

This is the first blog post as part of our Dibblers’ Diaries blog, which offers first-person stories from our interns. Summer Rich is a coastal policy and restoration intern. This first post recaps her first week with the North Carolina Coastal Federation. By Summer Rich Being a native of the North Carolina coast, I’ve got salt…

More than 125 people attended an organizational meeting for opposing offshore oil drilling and seismic surveys in Wilmington on June 6, and attendees left the meeting energized and ready to start taking action. The North Carolina Coastal Federation, Oceana, the Cape Fear Chapter of the N.C. Sierra Club and the Cape Fear Chapter of the…

Late last week, the state House approved its version of the $23 billion state budget by a vote of 80-31. Now the House and the Senate go to what they call “conference” to iron out their differences and arrive at a final budget before sending it to Gov. Roy Cooper for approval. Oysters The North…

Twenty people joined the North Carolina Coastal Federation and East Carolina University (ECU) for a tour on June 2 that showcased projects that will reduce the amount of stormwater runoff flowing into the White Oak River by 61,000 gallons from the 1-year 24-hour storm, protecting it for fishing, swimming, kayaking and more. The Stormwater Solutions Tour &…

Over 50 town managers, planners, engineers and watershed professionals attended a watershed restoration planning workshop on May 25 to learn about how to reduce polluted stormwater runoff and restore coastal water quality. The workshop, entitled “Watershed Planning: Strategies and Tools to Protect and Restore Coastal Water Quality” was put on by the North Carolina Coastal…

The North Carolina Coastal Federation brought its enthusiasm for oysters inland over Memorial Day weekend, setting up a booth at Chapel Hill’s Jaws Fest. Kelly Bodie, membership director for the federation, ran the booth while wearing the federation’s oyster costume. She talked to people about oysters and how they benefit North Carolina’s economy and environment…

Morris Landing A large group of volunteers joined North Carolina Coastal Federation staff at Morris Landing Clean Water Preserve in Holly Ridge on May 17 for marsh grass planting, monitoring and oyster bagging. The event brought in 50 volunteers, including 21 students from Eugene Ashley High School’s Marine Science Academy, the Green Team at the Blockade…

Staff at the Wanchese office recently took a field trip with students and staff from River City YouthBuild out to Durant’s Point in Hatteras, where they learned about living shorelines, marine debris and explored the marsh. Sara Hallas, coastal education coordinator at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Wanchese office, said they’ve done a trip with…